New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-31
CENTRAL PARK PLANTATIONS

sowy EXPERT OPINIONS AS TO THEIR CONDITION.
Professor Sargent OF Harvard University, Director
of the Arnold Arborotu,u, and Robert Douglas, the
most experienced and extensive grower forest tree
seedlings in the country are tho two men whose advice
would naturally be sought by any having in MAD
an enterprise involving the planting and care OF trees
on q scale OF some magnitude. These g-ntiemeh
recently made careful inspection Oh the psntations
of Central Park and some OF the opinions they
expressed are here noted by representative OF HE
TRIBUNE who accompanied them.
Tue coniierous trees WITH comparatively iew'
EXCEPTIONS have failed beyoud hope OF restoi aton
OF the thousands OF Norway spruees planted twenty
Eve years ago hardly a dozen STOW any health OF
ys The :isuSSih beauty
attitudes The Scotch and Austrian PINES aud our
heml0cks following tue svruces INTO early decsy;
There are some thrifty Stone nes but tie best Of all
the white pines and tie BnotaI pms, to which
these are premasurely old. Near Mt st. Vincent are
two splepdid specimens Of the yellow pine OF the
Pacific Coast pinus oCnderosa but they can hardly be
considered safe trees because subject III the Atlantic
region especially, 10 attacks VI fungous disease. a
few specimens Of Oriental spruce and Nordmanns
FIR appear reasonably well. The same may be
OF Lebanon. The Rocky Mogntain blue
spruce picea pungens aud the Douglas ns b,r Hs
4lcoeks spruce and few other sturdy evergreens
but after all it is likely that any conifers will
done in the past The persistent leaves OF these
,rees-lnany Of them remaining on the branches for
Effected by the dusr and smoke of the city, "hich Is
rapidly closing abait them. than Ere those OF broad
leaved trees which annually renewed. Decduous
trees must therefore be looked 10 IN Tie main for land
scape efec.s in tue future.
In MOS. places the trees were originally planted
closely 10 produce inn ediae effect and the in;en-
ton was to portion Of them from time to time
rs they increased 10 size and began TO crowd each
other. This til 40 ng out has been delayed untl The
growth and symmetry Of irdiv duas have been
iously interfered with vigorous use OF the axe Is
needed large proport' OF The trees will
be ruiued Professor SARGENT does not hesitate TO say
that at least half Of them should be removed begin
WITH AID he furthermore declares that If every other
tree cut away there would be greater leaf sur
face in the Park two years than there VIII be II
every lie allowed to stand. In many places they
have shot Like telegraph poles with only tGft Of
foliage at the ton. In other cases groups are found
Whose individuals belong to iucongruous ecies Of
great judgment must be used IN marking trees
for removal In mans cases those left II be unsym-
metrcal and they II need to be headed IN and the
limbs on the side where unobstructed growth has
taken place must be pruued back to force an even
development. But t0ere - pressing need OF immediate
attention TO this work. for the faculties of the prob
lem VIII increase with every years delay
In natural forests the falling leaves give back TO the
earth much of the fertllzna material which enters
into the growth of the trees AM the surface is kept
moist and mulched to furnish the best conditions for
growth. The necessity Of clrauing away the leaves
and encouraging grass TO grow above the roots has
helped to exhaust rapidly the soil, which in many
cases is but thiDly spread over rock bottom.
dressing of fresh soil with wellrOtted manure and
haps potash and phosphate of lime III some form is
needed to feed the hungry trees. Any one who has
productiveness under udicious surface dressing will
understand how similar treatment would benefit the
Park plantations
Originally closely planted belt made along the
boundaries to shut the city out of sight much az
possible and mask the wall. An examination of the
the trees have struggled upwards while the
lower branches have died and fallen, leaving the
wall exposed and the of foliage bopelessly lost
Various attem Is to till in The spaces with under
growth have been made, but their failure was always
foredoomed. Nothing will grow under the shade and
In the exhausted soil There Is but remedy and
that is the total clearing aud replantDg of the
borders. The change should be made gradually, but
completeiy, far 1t is undertaken by year.
After the trees have been cut away for a given
growing undershrubs with trees at the proper dis
fsnoes should be planted together. The underwood
would attain vigorous roothod and would probably
remain wall-scrcen after the trees had grown to
good size, for the belt would be that light
enough would be admitted to sustain the low aud
shrubs.
Professor Sargent said that thinning out of the nntu
raj forest In the ArbOrctum and in his grounds
had not been expensive operation. Indeed, the fire.
wood secured had paid for all the work But the
hndsof trees to plant both gentlemen said that expert
ence should be taken a guide. If European aches
and oaks had failed, American species of the same
genera had proved their value. On the other hand
the European sycamore was doing better than the
noble trees IN appearance, but the temptation which
their nuts offered to the predacous small boy con-
demned them. Many kinds of trees are now In -four
fsbing condition In the Park and 1t could not he mis-
take to e these. II is possible to obtain many
trees which could not DO had when the Park was
planted and although it Is not the primary purpose of
the work make anything like complete arboretum,
there Is opportunity to increase the variety Of
arboresoent forms In the groves and borders which
should not be lost